I no longer feel like the OS is constantly trying to pull my attention to different content and services.

The Windows taskbar is an essential component of Windows 11. It acts as a platform for multitasking and quick access to applications and system notifications. The taskbar allows you to pin your ...

I think there is a regedit setting to do just that or a policy setting. try winguides.com for the reg stuff, or fire up MMC (start-> run-> mmc) and add the computer policy/local policy component.

The taskbar is at the center of everything you do on Microsoft’s operating system—launching and closing apps, switching between windows, personalizing the desktop—and has been around in some form ...